Just because his primary role is on special teams, that doesn't mean David Bruton isn't scouting his opponent every week.

Bruton, who blocked a punt and had deflected another in the preseason, got his first deflection of the regular season Sunday when he used an outside rush to knock away a punt in the third quarter.

"I have a game plan vs. every wing, every week, what to do," Bruton said. "I got exactly what I wanted."

As a result, Shane Lechler's punt traveled just 2 yards and the Broncos got the ball at the Raiders' 18-yard line with 9:17 left in the third quarter. Four plays later ,the Broncos scored a touchdown to take a 24-6 lead. It was part of Denver's 21-point third quarter.

Bruton, who was not officially credited with a block because the punt went past the line of scrimmage, said his study this week showed him he might have a chance to get to Lechler.

"It feels great anytime what you plan for throughout the week actually happens," Bruton said.

Unselfish Peyton. Impressive as Peyton Manning's 30-for-38 for 338 yards and three touchdown passing stats were against the Raiders, he passed up a chance to pad them.

After Bruton's deflection, instead of calling the often-easy, stat-padding touchdown for the tack-on touchdown, Manning and offensive coordinator Mike McCoy called four consecutive handoffs to Willis McGahee, who finished the job with a 2-yard touchdown run.

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Manning said the McGahee drive was first schemed up in the first quarter, when the Broncos ran well on their second possession but settled for a field goal after two incompletions.

"Mike said, 'Next time we get a shot and we get down there, let's give the line a chance to pound in Willis,' " Manning said. "So, I thought that was a good plan."

Thomas regrets fumble. Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas dropped the ball at the end of a 40-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter as he tried to move the ball from one arm to the other.

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"I was trying to make him miss," Thomas said, "and I just dropped it."

As the ball fell, Thomas inadvertently kneed it so it rolled an extra 27 yards before it was recovered by Oakland at its 4-yard line.

Lucky seven. Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio dropped a new look on the Raiders, or at least one the Broncos haven't flashed all that much this season. The Broncos sported seven defensive backs on some passing downs, with no defenders down in a three-point stance at the snap.

With Chris Harris having played as the fifth defensive back in the nickel, the Broncos then added safeties Bruton and Jim Leonhard to the mix.

"It was good to have all those guys out there," said Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey. "It was like our meeting room in the huddle."

At one point, the Raiders took a timeout when the Broncos lined up in it and at another point they took a delay-of-game penalty.

No substitution. Despite trailing 37-6 with 3:43 to play, Allen chose to stick with quarterback Carson Palmer to begin the Raiders' final possession, instead of going with backup Matt Leinart.

"We wanted to compete all the way to the end, and that's what we're going to do," Allen said.

Footnotes. This was one of the easiest paychecks Britton Colquitt has ever earned. The Broncos' punter didn't have a single punt in the game. It was only the fifth time in team history that the Broncos did not attempt a punt. ... Rookie quarterback Brock Osweiler entered the game for one snap — victory formation on the final play of the game. ... The 31-point margin of victory was the Broncos' second-highest against the Raiders, behind only a 37-point win in 1962; and their biggest against Oakland since a 28-point win in 2004. ... Defensive end Elvis Dumervil briefly left the game in the fourth quarter with what appeared to be a left ankle injury. He did return one play later to finish out the game, but he will likely need treatment through the week. Lindsay H. Jones, Jeff Legwold, Mike Klis and Mike Chambers, The Denver Post